Call me optimistic, but this is musical eccentricity at its finest. There's absolutely nothing to latch onto as this platter meanders through psych/prog/70s heavy, makes a turn at jazz-fusion and drives home on oddball glitter riffs cycled through a phase shifter. And let's not miss the Brian May duplication on “Shakey Tiger.” I mean, really, Brian May? It all sucks in its compelling nature. Birds hail from Raleigh, N.C., the place Andy and Barney referred to as the city. This is not heavy music, it's quirky Flaming Lips rips enflamed by some smart angles on 60s London. While Wolfmother are adeptly mining the Old Country's wooly Blackmore-isms, Birds are adroitly tackling Small Faces meets Gong with tiny amps. Anything more than an EP, I fear, would be overkill, though. [Volcom]